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It is officially Autumn and I have a few Confessions!

Hey my friends and virtual friends. Well as you know I’m in the U.S. and a new season is here. It is officially autumn. The seasons are changing and the end of the year is getting closer. We are approximately 100 days from the end of the year and it had me thinking about life changes I’ve made and also goals I still have yet to accomplish. Remember my blog post My Spring Reboot Goals to Conquer this Season? Well here is an update on those goals and a few confessions I have to get off my chest.

First, my goals then and my progress now

Back when I wrote my post in Spring about my goals, they entailed the following aspirations.

Get Moving

Increase my water intake

Cut carbs/sugars’

More leafy greens

Prioritize and organize

Have gratitude

Remain focused on my dreams and art

Well I can tell you I was doing well in all these areas at first. I did get moving in the Spring/Summer when I joined the Healthy Dog Healthy You 30 Day Challenge . I was doing well. Not perfect but I could definitely see a difference in my energy level and sleeping patterns. And then I fell off the wagon. Yes, me! Fell right off after the challenge ended.

Why you ask? Well truth be told, this is my imperfect life. I’m flawed. I like sweets and carbs and get lazy from time to time. Moreover I have a bad habit of watching late night news, especially over the past year since that oh so memorable USA election night! I try to stay informed and late night news after 9pm seems to be when I can turn on the tube. As a result, I miss out on an extra hour or two of sleep each night during the week.

Anyway I digress, aside from falling off the wagon, I unexpectedly had to get some major dental work done at my dentist (which I love!) which requires a long healing period of a few months and eating a diet of softer foods. No crunchy or sticky foods. So that means re introducing carbs like pastas into my diet which I had avoided for a long time. I try to keep it healthy though and add veggies when I can. And well overtime , if you are like me, too many carbs equals poof and the pounds.

Pasta is my kryptonite!

I also have been diligently working hard to provide you guys with entertaining, quality, meaningful and useful content. I’m a woman of my word and want to deliver as promised week after week. I haven’t stopped and I don’t plan on stopping now. Remember I just celebrated my blogaversary not too long ago and I love what I do.

So the items 1-4 not the best however items 5-7 have remained on course. And with that said here is the other half of my autumn confession!

My other confession is…

I have stayed true to my goals of keeping my priorities, having gratitude and holding onto my dreams and passions related to my writing and art. However, what that also means it that I recently quit my 9-5 job of 7 years to do it. Yes, I quit my corporate job to pursue my passions with art and blogging.

I love to paint!

You did what?!

Now before you freak out or roll your eyes, let me break it down. Remember when I talked about knowing when to put yourself first in my prior blog post called Why I had to Quit…a Lesson in Putting myself first? Well over the past several months it became painstakingly clear that although I worked hard and was valued at my job, I was doing too much burning the candle at both ends. I would go to work and commute, work 9-5, commute again, cook for hubby and start working on my blog in the nighttime. Moreover than that crazy schedule, what I came to realize with time, I was feeling unfulfilled.

I started this blog out of pain of losing my sweet Dusty as you know, and what I never really foresaw was loving the process of blogging, building new relationships with the people I’ve met virtually online and the amount of support. Don’t get me wrong building a blog is hard work and this takes a lot of dedication. However even being at the early stage of blogging I can tell my purpose was not meant to be in a cubicle at a stuffy desk 8 hours a day. It’s so not me. I’ve definitely got the creativity gene.

I haven’t got it all figured out, however I did have my intuition that let me know every morning when I work up “What the heck are you doing?!!!”After several months and a growing gnawing in the pit of my gut, I knew it was time to quit.

So what’s the plan now?

I’m an Aquarius so I’m all for taking risks…practical risks. I’m not one of those stories you read about where ‘ Yeay, I quit my job to blog and everything is gravy!” Nope, I took time to save some money all along the way and be responsible. You know, save to cover your bills for a while. Have you heard of Dave Ramsey? If you don’t know check him out on You Tube. You can thank me later.

So what now you ask? Well I write, I paint, I learn, I grow, and work hard and repeat. That’s my plan. Well… that in addition to finding something new, different and flexible as my blog is still growing! Trust me when I tell you, as with anything, greatness takes time and patience. There are no overnight successes, just preparation, practice and patience.

All I do know is two things. First, life is too short to be somewhere you know in your gut, you are not meant to be. And second, imagine living a life doing everything you love or like to do for the rest of your days? Imagine liking what you do and being challenged at the same time? Imagine being in a position to learn, grow and constantly try new things? Doesn’t that sound grand? That’s the life I want to live. Sure you make some sacrifices or may need to work even harder, but moving in a direction that fulfills your soul daily and gives you purpose is priceless.

To Sum up what I’ve learned

So those are my two big confessions; I fell off the fitness wagon and quit my job. Ironically, I can honestly say that I’m finding my happiness again. Anyone who personally knows me knows I’m as sweet as a double chocolate lava cake. It’s not in me to be cranky and mean or short-tempered, but I’ll tell you what, staying somewhere toxic or where you are not meant to be weighs heavily on your soul. Over time it’s downright draining, unproductive and depressing. Life is too short.

I’ve learned that going through that process, I had to make a decision to either let the experience continue to weigh on me and change who I was as a person, or refuse to give in to “do what everyone else is doing” and live my life the way I want. I chose the latter. I feel so much better for choosing me first. If you don’t put yourself first, no one else is going to do it.

Two people that definitely helped inspire me in my personal growth are inspirational speakers Les Brown and Eric Thomas. Additionally, two books I read that I found very helpful and inspiring are Necessary Endings by Dr. Henry Cloud and Live Your Dreams by Les Brown. Those where pivotal turning points in changing my thought process. For that I’m very grateful. If you haven’t read either book and like inspiration and positivity, I definitely recommend them. (Note: This is just my opinion of these books and not a sponsored review!)

Lastly, I cannot say enough how grateful I am to have such supportive friends, co-workers and family. It really means a lot to have support for your dreams and goals. Thank you!

Reboot & Moving On

Going forward now I am a little older and wiser. I’ll take with me the professional experience from my corporate job, the confidence to stay true to myself and the tenacity to never give up and keep pursuing my aspirations to get fit and grow my blog. With that said I have a pair of dusty dumbbells that need some dusting off and time to respond to a few head hunter emails in my inbox. In many ways I’m back to square one, but you know what? I couldn’t be happier about it!

Comment and share below. Can you relate to my secret confessions? Any helpful life tips, career tips, recipes or fitness tips for me? What has worked for you? Let me know your thoughts.

Comments

That’s so great that you decided to follow your heart and do what you are meant to do! 🙂 Good luck on your journey! I hope I’ll get there one day too. My blog is growing quite nicely and I would love to make it my full-time job one day, but we’ll see what the future has prepared for me 🙂

I also fell off the fitness wagon. And truth be told, I never really got in it. I am so happy that you’re finding inner peace. I am in the process of looking for another job as my current environment is very toxic. And thanks for the nook recommendations and reminder to be grateful every day.

Awesome post! My daughter and I were just talking about this last night! I so wish that I could quit my day job so that I can pursue my home business full time without having to worry about working it around my full-time job outside my home where my schedule varies and is never consistent. I will need to check out these books as well as the David Ramsey Videos. Thank you!

Lisa,
Thanks so much. Yes. I totally understand where you are coming from. In my case it really just got to a breaking point. When your intuition is yelling at you , you have to take a leap of faith. Life’s too short. Glad you enjoyed the post. 🙂

wow how crazy is this! sounds like we are going through similar things, I completely relate as I am a major carb junkie! I think changing the type of carbs you eat will help a lot i.e. wholemeal, I also recently quit my job! I wish you all the best of luck on your journey and thank you for sharing 🙂

I hope to follow your lead one of these days. I hope, after reading through your post, you feel proud of yourself – don’t beat yourself up! In the meantime, thanks for reminding me of the importance of getting enough sleep – it makes a huge difference. Especially, when I have to get up at 5:30am!

As for pasta, I’m vegan and LOVE quinoa pasta. You should check it out! My favourite is GoGo Quinoa.

Our stories are so similar, Kamira. I quit my very successful 15 year career to stay home with my kids, dogs, oh and to start this blog thing, back in February. I am still trying to figure it all out, but not a day goes by that I regret the decision I made. You are a very talented writer and have so much potential doing what you are doing and following your dreams. Oh, and I adore Dave Ramsey and Les Brown! We follow Dave religiously (to the point that our children quote him) and Les came to speak at one of my national meetings years ago. He was awesome and so inspiring!!

Stephanie,
I’m so glad you too made the decision from the heart. No regrets! Thanks so much for the kind words. How awesome was it to see Les Brown speak! Dave Ramsey tools are priceless. Kuddos to you for having your entire family learn at an early age. That’ definitely setting them up for financial freedom early. Sweet! Good luck in your blogging journey as well. We’ll be learning along the way together . 🙂

Unless we are true to ourselves we will not grow. Each finds their own path, as you have, or to misquote Thoreau we blaze a trail.

I am glad you write things down. In this digital age it is not just ‘old fashioned’ to write not use a computer or smartphone – it is a different way of thinking altogether. New ways and new avenues are there for us to explore. Good luck you!

Marjorie,
Well said. Yes, I’m so old school. Pen, spiral notebook and a big notetaker! LOL Blogging has definitely had me learn to stretch and grow, especially with using new social platforms. Thanks so much for the support !

Kamira good for you to know what is best for you. I love Dave Ramsey too! You have great courage to quit your job, which is what I should do since I am juggling two “part time ” jobs that seem full time, while blogging and learning copywriting and finishing my memoir – too many directions! I admire your focus!

Congratulations on making such a big career move! Scary, I know but you’ll do great.

I too struggle with putting myself first, and have an inordinate obsession love with carbs. With a recent, upsetting show at a mom’s night out I decided I needed to get in better shape. Horses are great but my flexibility is nothing. So I’ve challenged myself and have been putting my health first. I refuse to give up my favorite foods though!

Heather,
I hear ya! Sorry about the disappointing show. Keep doing what you love you’ll get to the top. I’m so like you with the flexibility. Mine is non existent! LOL After I wrote this post I pulled a muscle so once I’m healed I’ll start of with light intensity exercise. I have already started with stretching. Not great but have to start somewhere. Agree, we have to prioritize ourselves and our health. Good luck on your fitness journey too. Thanks for your support!

As someone who has reinvented herself many times as an entrepreneur, I applaud your decision to follow your heart. I met Les Brown many years ago…he continues to inspire the world. I’m looking forward to reading more about your journey ❤️

I confess that I struggle with many of the same issues as you. It can be difficult making the decision to make such a change in ones life, but I wish only the best and great success in this new adventure.

Congrats on the big career change! I applaud you taking that big step of quitting your “regular” job. I also recently did the same (when I say recently I mean a couple years ago) to pursue my musical and teaching career more. As soon as I left my regular job, I was met with several music opportunities that I wouldn’t have been able to do if I had a regular job. I now no longer have a traditional job, and am a freelance musician and blogger. God is good and always provides! I wish you all the best on this new journey! I’m excited to see where it takes you!

Emily,
How wonderful. I love your testimony. I really feel like the law of attraction is real. As soon as you remove what is blocking your blessings, the opportunities will follow. Thanks for your support, kind words and sharing your experience. That’s awesome. Wish you continued success!

Congrats to you for being TRUE to your authentic self! You are lucky to be able to do that, I also “work” from home, but because I lost my job due to down-sizing in 2007 and was forced to “reinvent.” Love that you are an Aquarian! That is one of my most compatible signs, you guys are quirky and creative. I am a Libra/Scorpio (October 20th). I think you stuck to virtually everything you set out to, weight/food is a lifetime thing (I am in Weight Watchers and love it)………you know food should never be a “diet” just a goal to make better choices! I think you have done an AMAZING job!!!

Thanks Caren,
I feel so flattered by the compliments coming from an established blogger like yourself. Happy early birthday too! Working from home doing what I like is the goal. True freedom!Thanks for your support and advice!

Congrats on leaving the rat race and focusing on your blog and art. That’s wonderful! I understand and admire the way you prioritized and made sure you could financially pull off leaving the corporate world before you made your move. I have the same dilemma – not enough time to focus on my blog or grow my readership, but I still need my day job for now. I’m trying to practice patience, LOL, but sometimes it is difficult!

Good for you! Change is good and can be very positive when you take that leap of faith and trust in yourself and your heart. Looking forward to saying hi to you in person at the office in Oct! Dr G already knows I want to work the day of your appt!!

Thank you Cheryl! Yeay! Looking forward to meeting you too. We must think alike. I was thinking about changing my appt to Wed to see you. LOL I’ll leave it as is. See you next month. Thanks for your support.

Kamira, I’m glad you are following your dreams. Too many times people listen to their head and not their heart. Good for you. Much success. Continue to trust God and don’t put your confidence in man (Psalm 118:8), and when you lack wisdom, go to Him, and He will give it to you (James 1:5). He will give you skillful and Godly wisdom which is much higher than human wisdom which He considers folly.

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